Danielle Herrington has been tapped to front the 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

The model from Compton, Los Angeles, was first featured in the U.S. publication last year (17), and has now landed the coveted cover spot. In the image, she is seen posing on a beach in The Bahamas while wearing a skimpy pink bikini.

With regards to gig, the 24-year-old has stated that she was honored to be featured and described the photoshoot as a dream come true.

“I can’t even believe I’m saying this. I am the 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model,” she shared. “I can’t wait for everyone to see it. I’m emotional, but I just want to say thank you to everyone who believed in me. I put in so much work for this and I’m feeling very accomplished, happy and excited.”

Long-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue star Tyra Banks announced the news to Danielle, who was overwhelmed with emotion.

She becomes the third African-American woman to appear on the cover, with Tyra appearing on the magazine in 1997 and superstar Beyonce Knowles fronting the 2005 edition.
SI Swimsuit Editor MJ Day has described Danielle as an “exemplary model” and is excited to see where her career goes next.

“She’s an extra hard worker and a natural brand ambassador. All those things separately don’t guarantee a cover, though. Danielle was a shy girl, who went from taking her first photos last year to showing up this year a completely different person. All the good things about her seemed to be magnified,” she said. “She owned every single second of her shoot. She had an enthusiasm and effervescence about her – I felt like I was meeting her for the first time.”